By Antonis Anzoletou

Europe has cast its “elections” and the “27” have already entered at the rate of June 9. Opinion polls are ongoing in the old continent and conclusions are already being drawn both about the direction the EU will take. for the next five years as well as for the Member States. Some are also preparing to compete at the national level. The IPSO poll carried out on behalf of Euronews captured the political map of the old continent 80 days before the European elections.

What is the main conclusion? How the groups of the most extreme right-wing forces are reflected in increasing their forces by 30 seats. The far right, the Identity and Democracy (ID) Group out of 59 MPs in 2019 seems to get 81 and the European Conservatives and Reformers (ECR) out of 68 are expected to take 76 seats, according to the survey. The shift towards Euroscepticism is a big talking point in the days before the polls. In four countries the ID will be appropriated for the first time as the Marie Le Pen with the “National Front” in France appears to have taken a head like Geert Wilders in the Netherlands with the “Party for Freedom”. Far-right forces register firsts in Belgium and Austria respectively. As far as the Conservatives are concerned, Giorgia Meloni with the “Brothers of Italy” remains strong and first, while in Latvia the ECR is also the first force.

The scepter, however, he still holds European People’s Party (EPP)as in 14 countries, even with some collaborations, the first are ranked in the specific political group, while for the Social Democrats (S&D) the first is recorded in five member states.

The landscape is not going to change significantly in the new European Parliament according to all the polls that have been done so far. The EPP it will continue to be the first force with the S&D second and the Centers and Liberals of Renew Europe third. Of course, there are also the options that pass under the “radar” of the pollsters in the specific polls. Relaxed vote, protest vote and abstention are the three “habits” of voters when they are not asked to choose who will govern them. With this factor in the equation, the rise of the extreme right is largely explained. With immigration as a project, but also with the argument of the supremacy of national policies over European ones, the populist parties are fighting for the best possible result. And this is the point that Europe she is asked to show what her defenses are. It is not helped by the intensifying social inequalities and the economic turmoil that exists everywhere due to increased inflation. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis have long been an explosive mix. In the frame of this year’s elections and therefore of the final choices, climate change will also be included.

It is difficult for the liberal center-right forces that there is no strong leader, either at the European level or at the level of member states, who will hold back forces. The bet for the new five-year period is the emergence of new personalities who will either “move” from their countries and parties gradually to institutional positions in Brussels or will emerge from among the 720 who will be elected to the European Parliament.